Jackie Venson and Tomar Williams & The FCs

A fearless guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, Jackie Venson carries the passion of Black music in Austin while pushing it forward. Rooted in blues, soul, rock, and pop. A commanding performer, Venson has also released five studio albums.

Tomar Williams got his start singing lead on the Chitlin Circuit with his family band in the late 1980s. After several decades as a side man on the Austin scene and successful work in Hip-Hop production, Tomar decided to return to his roots as a frontman in 2015. A mutual friend, Nikolas Bouklas, introduced him to a recently formed local instrumental band, the FCs, and common purpose and chemistry were apparent to both sides from the first tune. The band self recorded and released their first EP, “Day by Day” which The Austin American Statesman selected as a top release and wrote, “Williams shows his own soul chops with searing vocals that drip with blood, sweat and tears”.
Their second full length record, “Rise Above”, was released in February, 2020 on Splice Records. The Austin Chronicle wrote that “Williams today notches four full decades of performance and finally hits his stride north of 50”. The band are known as one of Austin’s best live acts and are favorites for locals and visitors at iconic clubs like The Continental Club, Antone’s, and The White Horse.